George Steinmetz

On the Atlantic coast of Brazil is one of the most unusual dunescapes in the world, Lençois Maranhenses (the bedsheets of Maranhão). During the rainy season, the region gets some 60 inches of precipitation, which floods the dune field. During the dry season, intense sunlight and strong trade winds dry up the lakes and the dunes resume their advance into the tropical forest. This 400 square mile area is a national park, but families living in and around it are allowed to continue traditional subsistence activities of fishing, farming, and goat herding. At the end of the summer rains, when these pictures were taken, it’s one of the most beautiful and unique landscapes on earth.